Hand-held power tools are used to cut elongated workpieces to length. The term “hand-held power tools” refers below to power tools such as, for example, angle grinders and chainsaws that an user holds in his hands during the work. Electric as well as gasoline-powered hand-held power tools are known. The tool selected depends, among other things, on the material of the workpiece that is to be cut to length. Chainsaws are used mainly for tree trunks and wooden beams, whereas angle grinders are used primarily for stone curbs and steel pipes.
In actual practice, the workpieces that are to be cut to length are not clamped during the work, but rather are secured by the user who puts his foot onto the top of the workpiece. This securing technique entails the risk of foot injuries since the foot is close to the cutting site and thus to the moving work tool. The risk of foot injuries is especially high at the beginning and end of the cutting procedure since the work tool can move in an uncontrolled manner.